Location: Omak Washington

Mrs. Leone Smathers, 46, of Omak, former Ellensburg resident, died Wednesday [June 24, 1942] following an operation at Rochester, Minnesota, according to word received here. Discover your family's story. Enter a grandparent's name to get started. choose a state: Any AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY INTL Start Now Funeral services will be held at the Honeycutt chapel here Monday afternoon, June 29, at 1:30 o’clock. Rev. Joseph Greene of the Baptist Church will officiate. Burial will be in the IOOF cemetery. Wife of Lee Smathers, Mrs. Smathers lived in Ellensburg for many years until the family moved to Omak six years ago. In addition to her husband, she is survived by two sisters, Mrs. George Ferguson of Ellensburg and Mrs. Helen La Fan of Fairbanks, Alaska, and three brothers, Orville, Joe and Enis Wright of Ellensburg. Contributed by: Shelli...

Richland, Oregon Wanden Lloyd Ashby, 77, of Richland, died Nov. 10, 2004, at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise of complications from heart surgery. His graveside service will be at noon Saturday at Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Pastor Ralph Holcomb of the Baker Christian Church will officiate. Military rites will be conducted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 7847, Halfway. Wanden was his own man. He served his country during World War II, after joining the U.S. Navy at age 16 with his dad’s OK. He received two Purple Hearts, one in the Battle of the Philippine Sea and one at Okinawa. After the war he sailed with the Merchant Marines for about nine years. After serving his country, Wanden moved to Omak, Wash. He later moved to Keller, Wash., where he was married and bought a ranch. Later he bought another ranch in Moses Lake, Wash. He and his wife were divorced and he sold his property. Wanden acquired some racehorses and raced them at Portland, Yakima, Spokane and Seattle, Wash. He sold his horses after a few years and bought a house at Richland. Wanden and his very good friend, Glenn Densley, prospected and mined. In his later years he had a small sawmill and started making wooden bowls. He never sold any, but gave them to friends and relatives. In addition to mining, he loved...

Baker City, Oregon Kyle Blake Kennison, 51, of Hermiston, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 4, 2004, at Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital in Portland. His memorial service was Monday at the Hermiston High School gymnasium. There was a private family graveside service at the Hermiston Cemetery. Mr. Kennsion was born on Sept. 30, 1952, at La Grande to Harry and Mary Jackson Kennison. He was raised at Wallowa, Pilot Rock, Omak, Wash., and Baker City. He was a 1971 Baker High School graduate. Kyle than attended the University of Idaho at Moscow where he was a student athlete, competing in track. He graduated with a double major, bachelor’s degrees in sociology and education, in 1975. Kyle taught school at Middleton, Idaho, from 1976 to 1979 when he moved to Hermiston. He taught government and economics classes as well as coaching track. He also was an assistant football coach and Key Club adviser for many years. He served as the head track coach through the spring of 2001. Kyle married Dawn Voll on July 28, 1995, in the Cook Islands. Kyle was very active in the community. He ran the swimming pool for many years, established the youth track program and the Track Officials Federation and was a member of the Bulldog Booster Club. He was also a member of the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association, and a University...

Jewell L. “Judy” Ingram, 74, a former Baker City resident, died July 8, 2003, at Creston, British Columbia, as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Precht Harrison Funeral Home in Okanogan, Wash. There will be a graveside service after the funeral. A dinner will be served at noon at the Okanogan Senior Center. Judy was born on Nov. 26, 1928, at Christopher, Ill., to Barton Edward Connor and Roxie Gulley Connor. She had 10 brothers and sisters. She worked and lived in Chicago during World War II. She traveled to Oregon to live with her brother and to see the West. In 1952, she married Charles Ingram of Vale, a returning soldier. Charles was foreman for the Russell Ranch at Vale. The couple moved to Baker City in 1956 to manage the Vaughn Ranch. Judy helped Charles in all areas of ranch management, often accepting good-natured teasing for being a “city girl.” Judy worked for the Mercantile Store in Baker City for several years and then accepted a position at Baker Union Ford Tractor Co. where Charles was then working. She and Charles continued to work together, eventually becoming owners in the company. Highlights of their working career included Judy being the first woman farm equipment salesperson and Charles receiving an honorary doctorate from the New Holland Co. of...

Hereford, Baker County Nellie G. Brannock, 88, a former Hereford and Baker City resident, died Nov. 6, 2003, at Omak, Wash. Her graveside funeral was Nov. 12 at Mount Hope Cemetery. Nellie was born on Aug. 10, 1915, to Lewis C. and Laura Phillips Morin at Haines. She married Gerald Brannock at Weiser, Idaho, on Oct. 15, 1936. Most of their married life was spent on their ranch in the Hereford area. Upon Nellie and Gerald’s retirement, they moved to Baker City and sold the ranch to their nephew, John Morin, and his wife, Roberta. Gerald died in 1978. Nellie continued to live in Baker City by herself until 1987 when her brother, Ted Morin, moved in with her upon the death of his spouse. Together Ted and Nellie shared many interests. They attended church together, gardened and always opened their home to family and friends. Nellie was a great caregiver to so many people. If someone was ill, she was right there to comfort and serve. She was an accomplished seamstress and cook and she loved baseball, basketball and horse racing. She was loved by many and will be missed by a host of family and friends. Survivors include her son, Ken Pearson, and wife, Darlene, of Republic, Wash.; a foster daughter, Darlene Jenkins, and husband, Jerry, of Wilbur; a sister, Gladys Ward; two brothers, Ted Morin of...

Baker City, Oregon Dorothy Arlie Stuart, 87, a former longtime resident of Baker City and Richland, died Feb. 9, 2002, at her home in Omak, Wash. Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Richland Christian Church. Pastor Gordon Bond of the church will officiate. Vault interment will be in the Eagle Valley Cemetery at Richland. Visitations will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Gray’s West & Co., 1500 Dewey Ave. Dorothy was born on Feb. 11, 1914, at Ephrata, Wash., to Harvey and Martha Pruitt Coombes. She spent her younger years at Republic, Wash., later moving to Seattle, Wash., and then to Baker City. She married Gordon Stuart on Feb. 4, 1934. They lived at Enterprise for several years and then returned to Baker City. They moved to Boise in the fall of 1957. Upon Gordon’s retirement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, they returned to Baker County and had a ranch at New Bridge. After Gordon’s death in 1995, Dorothy moved back into Baker City where she lived until 1998 when she moved to Omak, Wash., to be near her daughter, Dorothy Kendall. She worked for Sylvan’s Laundry (Crown Cleaners) and J.C. Penney Co. in Baker City and as a secretary for the welfare office in Boise. Her greatest interest was music. She first played the organ at the age of...